Congratulations on your catch! It’s indeed a great achievement and you really deserve to make the trophy out of it. But where to get fish mounted?
To mount your fish, you need to take a photograph of it and measure the fish from the tail end to the mouth tip. Then, you need to submit these details to your local taxidermist, alternatively, you can also get ready-made fish mounts from sites like Etsy, eBay, Amazon, or do it yourself.
There could be several questions in your mind about where to mount the fish. Stay tuned till the end to get a comprehensive understanding of the topic.
Spoiler Alert! As you dive into our guide, please don’t forget to check out the alternative replica fish mounts section at the end. It might be a new thing for you to save money without compromising the quality of the product.
How Do You Get A Fish Mounted?
After you catch your fish, the first step is to take a nice photograph of it. It is important to take the shots with proper details so that down the line, you can get the right replica mount, even if the original colors of the fish fade away.
Now there are two main types of fish mounts you need to know:
#1. Fish Skin Mount:
In this type of mount, the taxidermists (individuals who treat animal skin with various chemicals and make them such that they look real) use real fish skin. They remove the flesh and other body parts, just keeping the fish skin.
Sometimes, they will also include teeth and fins. But in the grand scheme of things, the idea is to select parts of the fish that don’t deteriorate quickly.
Remember that doing fish mounts for all types of fish is not that easy.
For instance, saltwater fish often have oily skin which makes the process more challenging. Because these oils can affect the longevity of the fish skin mount in the long run.
The real fish skin mount process is more suitable for freshwater fish like salmon. Moreover, if the fish skin is durable and has prominent scales (as in the case of bass), then it becomes preferable for taxidermy and fish mounting.
Pro-Tip: If you want to wait for a few days before taking the fish to the taxidermist, you need to preserve it in a freezer in a wet towel (to prevent any freezer burns).
Speaking of fish skin mounts, if you are worried about their longevity, we highly recommend reading this guide on how long fish skin mounts last.
#2. Fish Replica Mount:
Now skin mounting a fish can be great as a trophy, because, after all, you are mounting the real fish you caught and not any replica. It has its own charm and emotion associated with it for any angler.
However, they have their own set of challenges. First of all, you need to preserve the fish in the right way, unless you directly go to the taxidermists right after you catch the fish.
It takes more time because taxidermists need at least a few weeks or months to treat the skin so that it can remain preserved for years to come.
Moreover, chances are that they are already booked with pre-orders. So by the time you get your fish mount ready, it can easily be 2-3 months on the quicker side, and up to 1 year if they are really busy.
In comparison, it won’t take a long time to get your fish replica mount.
The replica mount is either made of fiberglass or metal. And the process is pretty straightforward. You provide your taxidermists the details like photographs of your fish and measurements. Then, they just cut, and prepare the replica based on your requirements.
There’s no time needed for the treatment of any material.
One of the many advantages of replica mounts is they are pretty hands-off to prepare for you. You don’t have to worry about preserving the fish.
Moreover, the best thing is longevity. Fish skin mounts tend to last only about 20-30 years. On the other hand, replica mounts can last a lifetime because they tend to deteriorate easily.
Pro-Tip: No matter which fish mounting type you want, it is essential to take good photos of the caught fish. Ideally, it’s best to take pictures of the fish from all sides so that your taxidermist can better assess the original colors of the fish and prepare the mount for you accordingly.
Where To Get Fish Mounted?
If you are looking for customized fish skin mounts, then you will have to hire professional Taxidermists. However, if you are looking for replica mounts of the fish, you can find that from taxidermy shops as well as online platforms like Etsy, eBay, or Amazon.
Advanced Taxidermy
The Advanced Taxidermy store is one of the best taxidermy stores in the US. They have been in the business for over 35 years and are well-known for creating realistic replicas.
They offer quality service that is praised by many customers. Although you may experience a bit of delay, the final result of the project will be top-notch.
They offer taxidermy services for birds, fish, as well as mammals. The founders of the website are expert Taxidermists who also have a background in art. This ensures they can better understand your project’s design requirements and create replicas matching your needs.
The Taxidermy Store
The taxidermy store is one of the renowned taxidermy shops in the US. They have been in the business for over 7 years and provide taxidermy services for almost all types of animals including fish.
What separates them apart from other taxidermy shops is their staff and service quality. Most of their team members are helpful and knowledgeable about the subject matter. So they will give you the best guidance when it comes to fish mounts.
From 80-inch fish mounts (that cost over three grands) to 15-inch trout fish mounts, they make all types of fish replicas.
Living Water Fish Replicas
If you are looking for a taxidermist who specializes in making fish replicas, then you can check out Living Water Fish Replicas.
The store is based in South Carolina, and the founder of the store is a fisherman. So rest assured, you can get quality service and fish mounts from them.
Their process begins by first understanding your requirements, and then meticulously crafting the fish mount based on those requirements. Have unique needs with the replica? Just inform their team and they will follow up with you in the best possible way.
They heavily focus on the attention to detail for the fish mounts they make. If you are looking for a more personal service from an expert taxidermist, this store can be a great choice.
Travis Taxidermy
The Travis Taxidermy is another taxidermy store based in the US, known for quality service.
They offer realistic-looking fish mounts, along with other animal mounts. And you can count on them because they have been in the business for around 20 years and have made more than a thousand fish mounts till now.
They specialize in making life-like fiberglass fish mounts based on the photographs and details you share with them. If you don’t want a skin mount, and just want to get a fish replica mount, this store is worth checking out.
On their websites, they show a couple of great samples of the fish mounts they have already made.
Their team members comprise skilled craftsmen who understand the fish anatomy well and prepare the trophy mount for you accordingly.
Alternative Options:
Ordering customized fish mounts online can be great. But if you are simply looking for a fish mount replica for home decor, then online sites are the best option.
Note that on these sites you will only get pre-made fish mounts and not the custom fish mounts. If you are looking to get your fish mounted, then you will have to look for professional taxidermy shops.
Etsy
On Etsy, you can get a large collection of pre-made fish replicas that are well-suited as art pieces in your home or office setting. Multiple independent sellers sell their products on this platform which offers you a wide pool of unique products to explore and buy.
eBay
If you’re looking to buy high-quality fish replicas directly from an individual seller, then eBay is another platform worth exploring. There you can get a variety of options, and by bidding correctly on the right products, you can buy nice fish replicas.
Amazon
Finally, if you are just looking at normal fish mounts as a decoration or ornament art piece in your home, then Amazon is another place to check out. You can get pretty cheap to decently priced fish mounts here.
Based on your budget and requirements you can choose the right product. You may not get as much variety of products as you’d get from eBay or Etsy, but still, it’s a nice option to check out.
Price and Cost Considerations
The cost of fish mount is generally measured on a per-inch basis. Depending on the type of fish mounting process you select, the cost can vary.
On average, the cost of a replica fish mount is close to $15-$16 per inch of the fish. So let’s say you want to make a fish replica mount for a 30-inch bass fish, the total cost would be in the range of $450-$480.
The cost of a real fish skin mount is also comparable but slightly higher – the per-inch cost is around $20 in general.
So, for the same 30-inch bass fish, the cost would be about $600 with a real fish skin mount. And it is for a reason, skin fish mount is a resource-intensive process. The Taxidermy has to skin it, dry it, clean it, and treat it with appropriate chemicals for quite some time (at least a few weeks).
Once that is done, then the taxidermist has to again properly mount it over the mold and do further detailing to make it look realistic.
With fiberglass, metal, or plastic replicas, there isn’t much time required. And often you can get them more quickly than the skin mounts. But each has its own charm. So ultimately boils down to your requirements and preferences.
Check out this guide on affordable fish replicas if you want a good quality fish mount even with a tight budget.
Can I Mount My Fish With Just A Picture?
Yes, you can surely mount fish with just a picture. You only need the actual fish if you’re making the real fish skin mount.
Nowadays, most fish replicas are made using fiberglass and yet they look just as realistic as you’d expect them to be.
So all you need to provide to your taxidermists are perfect pictures of your fish from both sides. They need it while doing the actual detailing and coloring part of your replica fish mount.
It is also good to provide the actual measurements of the fish you caught so that they can tailor-make the fish as per your requirements.
Pro-Tip: Take multiple pictures of your fish from every possible angle. This way you can ensure that even if one of the pictures misses the mark, there are other shots to clearly depict the minute details of the fish.
Replica Fish Mount Alternative
If you’re looking for one of the most durable fish mounts, try out metal fish replica mounts. Sure, you may not get the same feel as a real fish skin mount. But the replica industry has come a long way. Metal replica mounts are also available such that they look almost like real fish.
In fact, we at Reelistic Replicas are all about making realistic-looking metal fish replicas out of laser-cut metal sheets. Using advanced printing, design, and metalworking techniques, we prepare fish mounts that look stunningly real. Check out our store on Etsy to learn more.
Conclusion
Mounting your prized catch and showcasing it as a trophy can be a rewarding experience. So it’s a great move if you’re thinking of getting it mounted.
Real fish skin mounting and replica mounting are the two main types of mounting with each having their own pros and cons. If you are looking for fish skin mounts, then hiring professional taxidermy companies like Mount This Fish, Gray Taxidermy, or American Fish Taxidermy is worth it.
However, if you are a fishing hobbyist and looking for a simple way to decorate your home, you can check out fish mounts on sites like Etsy, eBay, and Amazon. For realistic metal fish replicas and mounts, you can also check out our store.
